!NEW! Karl Lagerfeld Opens Opel Exhibition „Corsa Karl and Choupette“

Photographs of cat Choupette and Opel Corsa E from the photo-shoot of year

Flash lights: Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld opened the vernissage ‚Corsa Karl and Choupette’ with numerous members of the media in attendance.

Photographer and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld opened the photo exhibition “Corsa Karl and Choupette” for the Opel 2015 calendar with a vernissage at the Palazzo Italia in Berlin yesterday. Numerous celebrity guests took up the invitation from Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann and CMO Tina Müller and attended the event. They were the first visitors to see an unusual exhibition. Amongst others, celebrities such as Iris Berben, Bettina Zimmermann, Ken Duken, Christoph Metzelder and Jasmin Gerat along with German minister of transport Alexander Dobrindt attended the vernissage which took place in historic settings close to the Brandenburg Gate. The photographs and drawings of fashion design icon Lagerfeld thrilled the stars and guests.

Stars amongst themselves: Photographer and fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld mit model Choupette and the new Opel Corsa.

“I am delighted that we managed to prominently position the new Opel Corsa with the calendar and this exhibition and that Karl Lagerfeld, whose model Choupette is the focal-point of the vernissage, is here personally today to open the exhibition,” said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. Tina Müller added: “This vernissage unites the art of modern car construction with the creative work of Karl Lagerfeld in a very impressive way.”

Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel CMO Tina Müller and design icon Karl Lagerfeld at the opening of the vernissage in Berlin.

While talking to Tina Müller the Paris-based fashion icon admitted that he is a big fan of the new Opel Corsa. “I think that the new Opel Corsa, especially in red and with the numerous different equipment options including the new seats, is great and that is why I have already ordered one. It is the perfect car for the city,” said Lagerfeld.

Karl Lagerfeld is the photographer of the 2015 Corsa Calendar. It united one of the most popular passenger cars in Europe, the Opel Corsa, with one of the most unique models, Lagerfeld’s Birman cat Choupette. This resulted in numerous photographs of Choupette exploring the bestseller from Rüsselsheim. The elegant design of the body and the ‘inner values’ such as the heated steering wheel, ergonomic seats or the spacious trunk are impressively brought to life.

In addition to the twelve motives for 2015 Corsa calendar and private Polaroid photographs of Choupette, further photographs taken during the production of the calendar will be on show in the Palazzo Italia.

From the hand of the master: Fashion icon and star photographer Karl Lagerfeld signed an exhibit from the ‘2015 Opel Corsa Calendar’

The pop-up-plant, for example, includes interesting interior and detailed views of the Corsa production from body shell work, paint shop and production and final assembly. Here photographs, drawings and the automotive production process are brought together in a unique and artistic way.

The exhibition “Corsa Karl and Choupette” can be seen at the Palazzo Italia, Unter den Linden 10, in Berlin from February 4 to 22. Entry is free. The daily opening hours are from 11:00 to 20:00. 

!NEW! Karl Lagerfeld for Opel: The 2015 Corsa Calendar Available Soon

• Photographs of Choupette and the Opel Corsa from the photo shooting of the year
• Vernissage with calendar motifs to start in Berlin on February 4 

In October, couturier, designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld photographed his Birman cat Choupette and the new Opel Corsa in Paris. The results of this production will be on show shortly with the ‘2015 Opel Corsa Calendar, photographed and designed by Karl Lagerfeld’ being available for order from December 17. All of the motifs from the unusual shooting can be seen at a vernissage that will take place at the Palazzo Italia in Berlin from February 4 to 22, 2015.

For the cover of the calendar the designer and photographer took up his pen and drew his personal supermodel ‘Choupette’ exclusively for Opel. Opel and Lagerfeld selected the twelve best images of the cat with the new Opel Corsa for the pages of the calendar. “Choupette is a beautiful animal and did an excellent job,” said Tina Müller Chief Marketing Officer of the Opel Group, who was present for the shooting. “The new fifth generation Opel Corsa raises the bar in design, shape and functionality and Karl Lagerfeld did a magnificent job of capturing this.”

The photographs of Choupette discovering the new Corsa do not just focus on the exterior design. The twelve calendar motifs also give car and cat lovers an insight into the inner values of the bestseller from Rüsselsheim. For example, Choupette can be seen snuggling up to the heated steering wheel, getting close to the highly efficient new three-cylinder 1.0 ECOTEC direct injection engine or exploring the spacious trunk.

The limited edition 2015 Opel Corsa Calendar is available from December 17, 2014 for euro 33.50 (including VAT in Germany) from www.opel-collection.com.  

!NEW! Behind the Scenes with the New Opel Corsa E, Karl Lagerfeld and Supermodel Choupette

• Unique impressions of the production of the 2015 Opel Corsa Calendar
• New Opel Corsa E and Birman cat Choupette photographed by Karl Lagerfeld

Opel gives an insight into the production of the 2015 Corsa calendar

It is the beginning of September when trucks from Rüsselsheim deliver a special freight to the Studio L’Olivier in the Parisian suburb Malakoff. Seven brand new Opel Corsas in various colors are ready for one of the most unusual photo shoots of the year. The well-established crew set up the lights, technology and the camera equipment, thus setting the stage for a very special day in the studio, the day when Karl Lagerfeld will photograph Opel’s new star, the new Corsa, along with his Birman cat Choupette Lagerfeld for the 2015 Corsa calendar.

The behind the scenes video made available by Opel gives an interesting insight into the preparation for the shooting and the shooting itself. During the course of the day, Lagerfeld and his cat let their eye for design wander over the Corsa and made sure that it was covered from all angles. The video, available on Opel’s YouTube channel, shows Choupette posing behind the steering wheel and exploring the car from the in and outside thus creating exceptional views of the new Corsa.

“Choupette is very professional. She is the first feline top model,” said Lagerfeld who was delighted with his model’s performance. Tina Müller, Opel’s Chief Marketing Officer, was also present for the shooting in Paris. “There was a very special atmosphere in the studio. Karl Lagerfeld and the entire set were fully concentrated, warm and unbelievably friendly. In addition, the beautiful Choupette posed like a true star. The behind the scenes videos gives unique and private insights into the creation this unusual calendar for an exceptional car.”

The reason for the shooting is the introduction of the new fifth generation Opel Corsa. The photographs taken in Paris will be used for the 2015 Opel Corsa calendar. They will be on show at a vernissage early next year.

!NEW! Opel Corsa E and Choupette Pose for Karl Lagerfeld

A very special top model takes center stage for 2015 calendar shoot with the star photographer 

Karl and Choupette Lagerfeld joined forces for the new Opel Corsa E calendar shoot in Paris

Fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld managed to persuade a very special model to join him for a project with Opel – Choupette Lagerfeld. The couturier’s Birman cat is the star of the 2015 Opel Corsa calendar. “The recipe ‘Super model on car’ is slowly getting boring. Karl Lagerfeld has found a new and fresh approach to the subject,” said Opel Chief Marketing Officer Tina Müller. Müller was present for the shooting with Karl Lagerfeld and is delighted with the project. “The fifth generation of the Corsa has just been launched. In the last 32 years, it has been photographed with numerous supermodels. There was only one way to beat that in a special way: Choupette,” said the marketing expert with a wink.

Hood, roof, interior – Karl and Choupette Lagerfeld made sure that every detail of the new Opel Corsa was captured on camera

Lagerfeld followed Choupette’s foray of the new Corsa in a Parisian studio. His camera captured the four-legged star, with 42,000 Twitter followers and radiant blue eyes, getting to know every detail of the new Opel. No matter whether it was velvet paws on the steering wheel, a leap from the hood or during a quick break in a child seat - the star photographer and his model showed that the new Corsa offers outstanding spaciousness and quality along with first-class design.

Karl and Choupette Lagerfeld joined forces for the new Opel Corsa calendar shoot in Paris

The fact that a cat actually enjoys such a project is by no means common. But Lagerfeld’s close relationship with Choupette made the shooting easy. “Choupette did a great job – just as I would expect from a star. She was relaxed no matter whether she was behind the wheel or on the roof of the Opel. She was by no means tense. However, she did sleep for twelve hours after we had finished,” said Lagerfeld. “Karl Lagerfeld is synonymous with esthetics, lifestyle and elegance – just like our new Corsa. Karl Lagerfeld expresses exactly that with his photographs. The shooting and the calendar once again emphasize our brand’s claim – innovative cars, groundbreaking design and a likeable approach,” added Müller.

On top of being famous for his fashion creativity,  Karl Lagerfeld is a renowned photographer being exhibited in various museums around the world, and having his photographs being the subject of several art books. He shoots numerous advertising campaigns (Chanel, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld among others) and is a regular contributor to a lot of international fashion magazines. However, Choupette is no newcomer to working in a photo studio either, even though she has never before dedicated as much time as she did for the Corsa. Previously, the famous cat posed for the cover of the German Vogue in the arms of supermodel Linda Evangelista.

By the way, Linda Evangelista was part of the supermodel advertising campaign for the Corsa at the end of the previous millennium when she appeared in an Opel spot with Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patiz, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

Choupette Lagerfeld is already the second cat with a starring role in campaigns for the Opel Corsa. In the commercial for the first generation of the Corsa (1982 – 1993), cartoon anti-hero Tom chased mouse Jerry who was at the wheel of the agile small car.

The fifth generation of the Opel Corsa impresses with the new, clear-cut and, as usual, spacious interior including perfect connectivity due to the IntelliLink infotainment system and ultra-modern driver assistance systems. The dynamic Corsa silhouette complies with Opel’s design philosophy: flowing, sculptural artistry shapes combined with precisely designed details. This is the package the new Corsa has at its disposal to continue the 32-year success story in a highly competitive segment.

The Corsa calendar photos taken by Karl Lagerfeld will be presented at a vernissage at the beginning of next year. The previous Opel calendar, produced in cooperation with Bryan Adams, focused on the Opel ADAM.